Mobile radiation being measured across the UAE

Measurement locations include hospitals, schools, public spaces and residential neighbourhoods in the Emirates.

The survey will measure radiation levels of a chosen sample of 50 base stations for both UAE-licenced telecom operators to ensure that both the regulatory policy and the ICNIRP international standards are met as part of TRA’s commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens and residents across the UAE.

Majed Almesmar, Deputy Director-General for Telecommunications Sector in TRA, stated: “We launched this survey to ensure that emissions from the communications sites comply with the general public exposure limits set down by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection “

“We are set on applying the best proactive measures and regulations and policies to make absolutely sure that radiation exposure does not exceed the rates adopted internationally. The results of the survey will be announced by end of December upon completion of the project,” he added.

Saif bin Ghelaita, Director Technology Development Affairs in TRA, said: “TRA will continue using regulations in hand to ensure the radiation levels are within the safe international limits. We chose to check over 50 base stations which were strategically placed close to schools, hospitals, residential and public areas to ensure public safety in the UAE.

The survey is based on TRA’s Regulatory Policy “Non-Ionizing Radiation Limits for Telecommunication Networks” issued on 21st of June 2010, which in turn is in line with the regulations laid down by the International Commission for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) .

The initiative reflects the industry regulator’s commitment to adopting world class best practices that comply with the ICNIRP regulations that includes the introduction of a policy that aims to determine safety levels of Non-Ionizing radiation for communication networks.

The main force behind the push for a global smart grid: Maintaining corporate market share

In a just released paper by Prof. Damien Ernst from the University of Liege (December 2013) he argues that the the main force behind the creation of a global electricity grid is to be able to incorporate renewable energy thereby lessening our reliance on fossil fuels. Among other things, Ernst sees the transition towards a global grid as an inevitability but that the globalisation of the electricity commodity will give rise to serious challenges to national power industries. Ernst concludes with the warning that countries relying too much on the global grid for their electricity supply may experience very adverse effects.

Friday, December 06, 2013

What's the frequency?: radiation claims disputed

Utilities dispute smart-meter radiation claims

Utilities insist smart meters not harmful to humans

Utilities dispute smart-meter radiation claims

AEP-PSO field revenue specialist Brian Gross changes out old meters for smart meters at a University of Tulsa campus apartment complex while field services supervisor Mike Ruley notes final readings on old meters. Courtesy

Joe Esposito of rural Owasso displays his “Faraday cage,” an aluminum device designed to block electromagnetic emissions, which he says is needed to protect his family. Esposito says the new smart meters being installed by AEP-PSO can cause radio frequency radiation sickness. Courtesy

By ROD WALTON World Business Editor

AEP-PSO, which plans to install more than 500,000 smart meters systemwide over the next few years, denies that those devices emit radio frequency radiation at a high enough level to make people sick.

One of the Tulsa-based utility's customers, and apparently others who are battling the state's largest utility - OG&E - over similar issues, say otherwise.

"There's not one study to prove it's safe," Owasso resident Joe Esposito said in a call from his cellphone Friday. "It's killing people."

On the contrary, American Electric Power-Public Service Co. of Oklahoma says the studies prove that the RF signal from smart meters is safe. An Edison Electric Institute study in 2011 indicated that the RF level is multiple times less than that emitted by other devices, the utility says.

"The scientific evidence does not support that concern from those opposed to smart meters," said AEP-PSO spokesman Stan Whiteford. "The strength (of the radio frequency) is less than what you find in baby monitors and certainly cellphones. ... The concern is kind of misplaced."

AEP-PSO will spend $120 million to replace all 520,000 existing meters systemwide with advanced devices by 2016. The utility already has rolled out pilot programs for smart meters in Owasso, Sand Springs, Okmulgee and the University of Tulsa.

The intent of smart-meter technology is to promote energy efficiency. Once installed, the devices can provide real-time data online to allow customers to better control energy usage.

Opponents fear that those smart meters, which use radio frequency to communicate the data, are making them sick. KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City aired a report last summer featuring OG&E customers who complained of nosebleeds and other ailments after the advanced devices were installed.

OG&E spokesman Brian Alford echoed Whiteford's comments on the safety of smart meters, noting they were usually only on for several minutes a day.

"We have great confidence in the technology," Alford said. "It meets all the standards of the FCC (Federal Communication Commission)."

The KFOR report also featured Esposito. On Friday he recounted the experience of feeling pain in his mouth and groin immediately after AEP-PSO installed smart meters in Owasso in 2011.

Esposito crafted a sheet of lead around the meter to block the radio emissions. He also has built a "Faraday cage," which is aluminum screening that blocks emissions, to protect himself and his family in their home.

"I didn't need a pharmaceutical for my leg or my teeth," he said. "I just need to stop the radiation."

Some counties in California and other entities have either banned smart-meter installation or are examining the issue. Other studies have found the devices less harmful, including a 2011 "White Paper" from the Edison Electric Institute.

Radio frequency radiation exposure drops "significantly" as distance from the transmitter increases, the EEI study found.

"Smart Meter exposures even at close range and with exaggerated duty cycle are many times less than other household devices and are compliant with FCC limitations," the study states.

In fact, it added by paraphrasing from an earlier California study that radio frequency exposure "of a person talking on a cell phone and a person 3 and 10 feet from a continuously operating smart meter would result in Smart Meter RF exposure of 125 to 1250 times less exposure than the cell phone."

Esposito isn't buying it. He said utilities have a vested interest in rolling out the wireless meters.

Former wireless-industry executive Jeremy Denton dies

Jeremy Denton, 36, who served two leading wireless industry trade associations in senior-level positions, died after a two-year bout with brain cancer.

Jeremy Denton, who served two leading wireless industry trade associations in senior-level positions, died after a two-year bout with brain cancer. Denton was 36 years old at the time of his death.

Denton began his career in the wireless industry with the Industrial Telecommunications Association (ITA), which merged in 2007 with the American Mobile Telecommunications Association to form the Enterprise Wireless Alliance (EWA). Denton was with the ITA for six years, most recently as its director of government affairs.

He then moved to the Personal Communications Industry Association (PCIA), where he served as director of government affairs in 2005. After deciding to relocate to Raleigh, N.C., Denton served as executive director for three inter-related automotive industry trade associations: the Filter Manufacturers Council; the Management Services Group; and the Overseas Automotive Council.

Denton was very well-regarded within the wireless communications industry, according to Alan Tilles, a partner at Shulman Rogers.

“Jeremy was a joy to work with,” Tilles said. “Tireless, enthusiastic and creative, his loss cannot be measured in words.”

Mark Crosby, EWA’s president and CEO, echoed the sentiment.

“Jeremy was a wonderful, intelligent young man who I had the pleasure of working with when he was with ITA and then EWA,” Crosby said. “He was very passionate about the needs of ITA/EWA members. It’s a sad day.”

Thursday, December 05, 2013

Why You Should Keep Your Cell Phone Out of Your Bra

Dr. Oz reveals why you should keep your cellphone out of your bra. He discusses why medical experts believe there’s a link between wearing a cellphone in your bra and breast cancer, and how convenience is doing your body more harm than good.

Dr. Oz, Cell Phones and the Risk of Breast Cancer

Episode Air Date: December 6th, 2013. Visit DoctorOZ.com for
details. Visit our “No Phone Zone” site atNoPhoneInBra.com to learn how to
spread awareness!

Introduction:

I was seeing patients in my office when I was told that
Anita Pepper, the executive producer of the Oz Show, was on the phone. She
wanted to talk to me about cell phones and breast cancer. I was immediately
concerned that this issue was not ready for prime time. I was greatly relieved
when Anita explained to me that she understood that there is no proof that cell
phones can cause cancer. Their plan was to interview Tiffany Frantz, a 22 year
old woman who was diagnosed with a breast cancer directly below where she
placed her cell phone in her bra. The goal was to inform girls and young women
that there is a potential risk in placing the cell phone in direct contact with
the breast, and that this behavior should be avoided.

I concluded that it was a great opportunity to get the word
out, and so a few days later I was on a red-eye to NYC. After a few hours of
sleep I arrived at the show with a major case of jet-lag. One of the major
delights of the trip was to meet Tiffany and her mother Tracy in person. Tiffany
is a petite and unassuming young woman who has the courage to make her very
private story very public. Her goal is simple. She does not want to have what
happened to her happen to other women. Tiffany and her mom are a dynamic duo
committed to making women aware of the potential risk of storing cell phones in
their bras.

After a brief orientation the three of us were escorted to a
waiting area outside the main studio. Upon entering the waiting area, the
sounds emanating from the energized live audience were almost deafening. I
actually had a jolt of anxiety in response to the overwhelming roar of the
crowd, but as we entered the very large room where the show was to be recorded,
it was actually comforting to experience the enthusiasm of the audience.

Dr. Oz interviewed Tiffany first. She stood up bravely and
told her story to a captivated audience. Dr. Oz next interviewed Tracy who told
the audience what it was like to be the mother of a 21 year old who was just
diagnosed with breast cancer. By the time Dr. Oz got to me there wasn’t a dry
eye in audience. Dr. Oz was all business and in complete control. I got the
distinct impression that he runs the Oz show much like he runs the operating
room when he is doing cardiac surgery.

He has a wonderful smile that immediately puts his guest at
ease. You can soon judge for yourself how the interview went once the air date
is announced. From my perspective it was a great success since we covered all
the main points which include the following:

Question no. 1:

Is Tiffany’s case just a chance event or is it the tip of
the iceberg? The answer, of course, is that we don’t know. It may take decades
to get a final answer, as was the case with cigarettes and lung cancer. In the
meantime, cell phones are getting more powerful, and people start using them at
a younger age and for longer periods of time. If this is the tip of the
iceberg, the number of women at risk could be enormous.

Question no. 2:

How do the cell phone manufactures respond to this issue?
Virtually all manufactures place a warning in their manuals to avoid skin
contact. Blackberry goes a step further and states that failure to follow their
safety instruction could result in serious harm. View the BlackBerry 9620
Smartphone Safety and Product Information.

Question no. 3:

How common is the practice of storing the cell phone in the
bra? We have done a survey of college girls that showed that 40% of the
responders stored their cell phones in their bras on a daily basis.
Additionally, 3% of responders stored their cell phones in their bras for more
than 10 hrs. per day.

Finally, Dr. Oz asked me, “what concerns you most about this
issue?” My answer was simple: “I am most concerned about high school girls who
think it is cool to store their cell phones in their bras.” Tiffany is a
classic example. Her mother repeatedly told her to keep her cell out of her
bra, but like most teenage girls, she did not follow her mother’s advice. I am
concerned that young women with developing breasts may be at increased risk of
developing cancer in response to contact with radiation from cell phones. We
know this to be the case with exposure to the radiation associated with chest
x-rays. Although the (microwave) radiation emitted from cell phones is not as
powerful as that associated with chest x-rays, the combination of young age and
prolonged direct skin contact may prove to be the answer as to why Tiffany and
other young women with no known risk factors are developing breast cancer at a
young age.

The segment ended with Dr. Oz encouraging parents to take a
lead role in making the bra a “No Cell Zone.”

Let us know your views on the subject and if you have
questions, Ask The Doctor or Contact Us.

Mobile radiation causes no health risk: WHO expert

(IANS) / 6 December 2013

WHO studies have already proven that mobile phones do not affect human health

Mobile towers and mobile phone radiations have no health risks and do not cause cancer, a World Health Organisation (WHO) expert said on Thursday.'WHO studies have already proven that mobile phones do not affect human health. Cancer or brain tumour apart, it doesn’t cause even headaches or sleep disorder,” said radiation expert Michael Repacholi, the first co-ordinator of WHO’s radiation and environmental health unit.

Talking at the launch of the book “Mobile Phones and Public Health - Myth and Reality” here, Repacholi added: “A person absorbs five times more radio frequency (RF) from FM radio or television than the base station tower. Mobile tower radiation is lower compared to RF emissions from radio FM or television.”

He also dismissed the views that mobile radiation levels higher than the prescribed limit can have ill effects on human health.

The book’s editor Ravi V.S.Prasad said: “Scientific studies from all over the world failed to prove any adverse effects from use of mobile phones and towers. Their energy emissions are one-thousandth of the energy from sunlight, and so can’t impact on health.”

Scientists pledge to boycott Elsevier

Following the retraction of the Seralini et al scientific paper which found health damage to rats fed on GM corn, over 100 scientists have pledged in this Open Letter to boycott Elsevier, publisher of the Journal responsible.

The neuroscientist and medical director of the Psychiatric University Hospital Ulm, Professor Manfred Spitzer, met with intense press coverage about his new best-seller “Digitale Demenz. Wie wir uns und unsere Kinder um den Verstand bringen” (Digital dementia. How we drive us and our children mad) and his trenchant theses. Referring to many neurological findings and supplementing new findings Spitzer reinforces in his book previous research of reputable media experts saying that the too frequent use of the Internet can make people dumb. He never denigrated juvenile and adult Internet users however. Reacting to the spiteful attacks by the press, he said in an interview: “I do not pathologize but I state: Where there are effects there are also risks and side effects.”1 However, Spitzer does not just express warnings; he also shows what parents, teachers and politicians can do to protect our youth.

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Today on Your Call: Should we be concerned about cell phone radiation?

On today's Your Call, we'll talk to scientific experts about cell phones and how they may be affecting our health. A recent study looks at the incidents of breast cancer in women who've kept cell phones in their bras. Another looks at the effect of cell phone radiation on animal embryos in the womb. But how much do we really know? What do YOU want to know about how to use your cell phone safely? Join the conversation on the next Your Call with Holly Kernan and You.

Guests:

Dr. Devra Davis, author of Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry Is Doing to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family

Dr. Dariusz Leszczynski, research professor with the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority

Resources:

Message inside an iPhone 5:

Settings --> General --> About --> Legal --> RF exposure

“To reduce exposure to RF [radio frequency] energy, use a hands-free option, such as the built-in speakerphone, the supplied headphones, or other similar accessories. Carry iPhone at least 10mm away from your body to ensure exposure levels remain at or below the as-tested levels. Cases with metal parts may change the RF performance of the device, including its compliance with the RF exposure guidelines, in a manner that has not been tested or certified.”

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About Me

While I have always been extremely health conscious and am presently in excellent health, I did become temporarily out-of-commission (i.e. I was really sick) in 2005 with a number of at the time unexplainable symptoms. I was quite puzzled at the time because I had been eating mainly organically grown food, drinking spring water, doing Yoga every morning, and going to the gym several times a week. In other words, I was doing everything one is supposed to do to stay healthy. I was not supposed to get sick. It took me six months before discovering or even imagining the main source of the problem - which was in fact "overexposure to electromagnetic" - especially microwave - radiation. I was living within 200 meters of two cell phone towers at the time and within 500 meters of a 3rd one with numerous WiFi signals bleeding into my apartment from adjacent neighbors. I developed a host of symptoms, which are found in what has been misleadingly described as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) -- but much more accurately described as Radio Wave or Microwave Sickness. Large numbers of people in the USA suddenly started getting sick in 1984...